The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W. Johnson In the 1990 movie “The Freshman” a young NYU student becomes involved in a crime ring that charges rich people a million dollars to eat an endangered animal. I remember thinking that was a pretty far-fetched plot. After …
Category: Book Review
Nov 18
Book Review: Gideon the Ninth
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir The vibe of this book is a dark, non-misogynistic version of the Chronicles of Amber. It’s fantasy, but it’s also on distant planets. It’s got clear characters, but the details felt loosely sketched in. It’s the first book I’ve read in a long time where I encountered words I …
Oct 27
Book Review: The Book of Accidents
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig Ever watch a movie or read a book and grind your teeth wondering why the characters don’t just talk to each other and work things out? This might be an antidote for that. At its core, The Book of Accidents is about domestic abuse and its aftermath. Nate …
Oct 20
Book Review: The Trespasser
The Trespasser by Tana French I think this is the best and strongest book in the entire excellent Dublin Murder Squad series, and the worst thing I can say about it is that I’m sad it’s over. Conway and Moran are the main characters in this, though this time Conway’s the point of view character. …
Oct 11
Book Review: Bad Witch Burning
Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis It’s become harder for me to enjoy urban fantasy since I started writing it, so I was delighted by this well-crafted YA book about a girl who can speak to the dead. The way her magic works–she writes a letter and the spirit appears–felt fresh and creative. Trell has …